Perry County Kentucky Newspaper Articles
Newspaper articles extracted and transcribed
by Sherry Baker
The Portsmouth Time Portsmouth Ohio July 13, 1878
JAIL SENSATION
A Murderer Discovered and now Wanted by his Bondsmen.
TWO KENTUCKY SHERIFFS ON THE GROUND
Our Readers will recall reading some time since our account of the pursuing and arrest in Kentucky, of one Wilson who stole a horse from Esq. Freeman of Brush Creek township.
Since his incarceration in the jail of Scioto County Sheriff Reiniger has been watching him and keeping a close watch on letters he received and wrote himself, he soon learned that his man Wilson was in fact one John Akeman a murderer and fugitive from justice from Perry County Kentucky.
Yesterday there arrived in this city the Sheriff of the adjoining county of Breathitt and one Duff, one of Aikman's bondsmen and while negotiating for Akeman's transfer to them, Sheriff Williams of Franklin County Ky., also an adjoining county, accompanied by Mr. Strong another of Akeman's bondsmen and the one upon whom the loss would fall by reason of Akeman's non appearance for trial, arrived.
Sheriff Williams was armed with a requisition from Gov. McCreary upon the Gov. of Ohio. They stopped here long enough to identify the prisoner and officer Williams took the noon train for Columbus to present his papers to Gov. Bishop.
A times reporter interviewed the Kentucky visitors and from them learned the particulars of the murder.
Old man Akeman and his two sons, Daniel and John who reside in Breathitt had some difficulty with Wm. Bush who resided in Perry County near the line. The three Akemans came along the road, armed and found Bush sitting on the fence with his gun in his lap and immediately opened fire on him with their revolvers. He jumped from the fence and retreated about ten yard to the protection of a tree. Some eight or ten shots were fired at Bush. The elder Akeman advanced in the direction of the tree, while the boys flanked Bush; about the time that John Akeman fired a fatal shot into the body of Bush. Bush discharged his squirrel rifle at old man Akeman the ball entering into the abdomen. Bush and Akeman fell almost simultaneously. The affray occurred on the 26th of June 1876 and on the 1st of July Bush died, old man Akeman dying a day or two previous. At the November term of the Perry County Criminal Court John and Daniel Akeman were indicted. Twice the trial wa postponed and John Akeman gave bond in the sum of one thousand dollars and fled the country. He then developed into a first class horsetheif. After John became a fugitive from justice, Daniel was surrendered by his bondman and the Courts raise his bail to 10,000 which he was unable to give and he is in the Perry County Jail.
We interviewed John Akeman, aka Wilson in his cell yesterday afternoon and his story did not materially differ from the particulars given us by his bondmen and Sheriff Williams. It is said the proof is positive and the Kentucky authorities say a clear case of murder will be made out if he is surrendered. It is believed a reward of 250 has been offered for his return to Kentucky.
New Oxford Item, New Oxford, PA Dec 18, 1891
Talt Hall once a member of the celebrated French Eversole faction of Kentucky, and who has a record of having killed ninety men, singly and in posse, was arrested at Memphis, Tenn, last week. Hall is the man who killed the notorious Turner, the leader of the Turner faction in Letcher County Kentucky. He also burned the town of Jackson when he failed to find Eversole there. He was once a deputy Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky with headquarters at Covington, and is a remarkably fine looking man and fluent talker. He will be taken to Virginia. His brother is Jim Hall who caused the militia to be sent to the mountains.
Davenport Daily Leader, Davenport, Iowa May 23, 1893
REVIVAL OF A KENTUCKY FUED
One Man Dead and Two Others With an Aged Woman Wounded.
London, Ky., May 23 - That bloody was that was waged so fearfully a few years ago in Perry County between the Eversole and French factions, and which everybody was hoping had been settled forever, hasa again broken out. News has just reached here of a bloody fight which took place upon the street in Hazard between Jesse Fields, a Frenchman, the leading participant upon the one side, and Cash and John Eversole, sons of John Eversole who was so brutally murdered a few years ago, as leaders on the other side.
The fight resulted in the instant death of Jesse Hale and the serious wounding of Polly Ann Combs, the grandmother of Cash and J. Eversole. Fields received two wounds one in the arm and one in the back and John Eversole received a pistol wound in the wrist. Further trouble is anticipated.
The Centralia Enterprise, Centralia, Wisconsin, Dec 15, 1894
SHOT AT THE JUDGE
Kentucky Magistrate Has to Doge Bullets Because He Refused to Fix Bail
Lexington, Ky., Dec 12 - News comes from Hazard Ky., that Judge Hall was warned that if he didn't release on bail Jesse Fields and Joe Atkins, charged with shooting ex-County Judge Coombs from Ambush, there would be trouble. Field's brother, the county judge, was in court and when Judge Hall refused to allow bail Fields drew a pistol and fired at Hall. The court officers caught Fields, but his friends released him.
The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Georgia, August 28, 1890
BREAKING UP THE VENDETTA
Louisville, Ky, August 27 - A letter from Hazard, Ky., where court is in session under the protection of troops, dated August 25th, says twenty-three men engaged in the French-Eversole feud have been indicted for murder and as accessories and many of them have been arrested. The grand jury was reluctant to bring in indictments, but were called up in court by the prosecuting attorney, who told them they must do their duty or he would discharge them and call another jury. Judge Lilly added to this statement that if they sought to protect the lawbreakers he would refuse to sign their warrants for pay.
The Salem Daily News August 11, 1890 Salem, Ohio
KENTUCKY LAWLESSNESS
Attempt to Assassinate a Judge- a Jail, Court House and Jury Guarded by Militia
Hazard, Ky., August 11 - George W. Eversole, judge of Perry County, brother of Joe Eversole who was ambushed in 1888, had a narrow escape Saturday from being ambushed and killed while riding to Hazard on his way to court. When within three miles of town he looked toward some bushes on the mountain side just in time to see several men stick their heads up and raise rifles to shoot him. He quickly leaped from his horse and ran three miles as hard as he could, finally reaching Hazard. He immediately laid the facts before Judge Lilly, who will order a detail of State troops to effect their capture.
Buck Fugett, a brother of the Fugetts arrested in West VA for the murder of constable Emery Allen of the troublesome Creek precinct, has been lodged in jail. A posse of men have started after Zach and Henry Fugett, who have been caught in Lincoln Co. West Va. The Fugetts also shot another constable named Smith, but did not kill him. Troops are now guarding the jail, court and grand jury.